Invisible women.
In 1949, Simone de Beauvoir released the book 'Second Sex', which over the years became the manifesto of feminism. Out of the many references given by the writer, I was struck by one, which is where I would like to start: the representation of the world has always been the product of man, always describing it from his point of view. Simone reiterates that femininity is constructed just like masculinity. According to her Femininity is constructed in the same way as masculinity is constructed. Simone concluded that these differences do not come from male or female nature but from the cultural whole.
There's one book in particular that explains this phenomenon and that we can consider a modern manifesto of feminism: Invisible Women. This one is very powerful, but a the same time a revolutionary text written by Caroline Perez. This book is focused on a genuine observation and detailed statement of the world around us. The major thesis is the absence of gender data bias, which leads to the perception of the world as perfectly designed only for men. This bias is both the cause and the effect of a non-thinking that views humanity as exclusively male.
This mentality perpetuates the idea that only men are representative of humanity, consequently excluding the experiences and perspectives of women. In addition, the writer investigates in detail the gender diving into many aspects of our society. In ‘’ invisible women’’ there is an important chapter of this book that I would like to explain: chapter 3 the archetype of genius. The writer opens the chapter with a great example. Firstly, for years it has been decreed that men's lives should be the embodiment of the human experience, leaving us with little knowledge about women. This dearth of gender data is a direct consequence of a way of thinking entrenched over millennia
When we talk about humanity, we implicitly refer to men. The author argues that humanity is perceived through a male lens, with men defining women not in their own right, but in themselves. Throughout history, the archetype of genius has invariably been associated with men, as the real issue lies in the prejudice against recognizing female genius, largely stemming from the erasure of countless accomplished women from historical records, making it challenging to recall their names. The moral is simple: for years, we have believed that women cannot possess a brilliant mind. On the contrary, femininity is often seen as inversely proportional to brilliance. Unfortunately, we learn this bias towards brilliance early in life.
Once children learn about the genius bias at school, it should be relatively easy to ensure it never happens again. Correcting the genius bias is crucial because once acquired, those children enter the workforce and perpetuate it. It's interesting to observe how biases can manifest in various fields, including journalism, technology, and classical music. To reinforce this thesis, the writer chose to exemplify the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
She highlights how systemic biases can persist for decades until directly addressed: the implementation of blind auditions in the orchestra demonstrates the power of impartial processes in combating bias and promoting meritocracy. It's a compelling example of how a simple change can lead to a significant shift in representation. In conclusion, "Invisible Women" is a powerful reminder of the importance of considering all perspectives and experiences in shaping a fair and inclusive society.
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